Machine for crocheting a sheathing about a core



July 3, 1934. NARDULLI ET AL 1,965,298

MACHINE FOR CROCHETING A SHEATHING ABOUT A CORE Filed Dec. 30, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l HHHHH July 3, 1934. M. J. NARDULLI ET AL 1,965,298

MACHINE FOR CROCHETING A SHEATHING ABOUT A CORE Filed Dec. 30, 1935 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jufiy 3, E934 M. J. NARDULLH ET AL.

MACHINE FOR CROCHETING A SHEATHING ABOUT A CORE Filed Dec. 50, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 1934- M. J. NARDULLJ ET AL 1,965,298

MACHINE FOR CROCHETING A SHEATHING ABOUT A CORE Filed Dec. 50, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 6 J4 if y 1934. M. J. NARDULLI El AL 1,965,298

MACHINE FOR CROCHETING A SHEATHING ABOUT A CORE Filed Dec. so, 1935 s Sheets-Sheet 5 K55 J1 J5 Fatented July 3, 1934 entrant a MACHINE FGR ()RUCHE'IHNG A SHIEATHHNG ABQUTL A CQRE Mich ael Jerry Nardulli and Peter F. Nardulli,

Chicago, llll., assignors of seventy-five per cent to Herbert lLevy, Chicago, llll.

Application December 36, 1933, Serial No. 704,632

16 Claims.

An article of manufacture in general use is a ring, usually of metal, encased in a tubular sheathing formed of a cord or thread fashioned into connected loops or stitches. An example of such an article is that type of pull ring for a shade which has a jacket of cord or thread.

So far as we know these sheathings or jackets have always, heretofore, been constructed by hand, the process being tedious and rather costly. The primary object of the present invention is to produce 'a simple, novel and efficient machine to do this work, thereby not only lowering the cost and making possible quantity production, but also insuring greater uniformity of product.

In carrying out our invention, we crochet a cord or the like about the bar or other. element of which the ring is made, such bar extending through loop portions of the stitches. The present invention may therefore be said to have for its object to produce a simple and novel machine for crocheting a sheathing or jacket upon a bar or the like.

While the machine as a whole is adapted to form a completed product, we believe that we have devised several novel sets of mechanisms, each doing a part of the work and all cooperating to effect a unitary result; therefore the invention may be said to have as other objects the production of various novel and useful mechanisms which although shown as cooperating in a crocheting machine, may be used to advantage in other relations.

The various features of novelty whereby our invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in the claims; but, for a full understanding of the invention and of its objects and advantages, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan View of a machine embodying all of the features of the-present invention; Fig.

' 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4- is a section on line 4--4 of Fig. 1, showing only the two cooper- The. particular machine illustrated in the drawings is one adapted to crochet a jacket upon a ring and, for the sake of brevity, the detailed description will be confined to this particular embodiment which is fully illustrative of the principle of our invention, although the invention may obviously take various different forms.

There are three principal members of the machine, a crochet hook or needle, a cord or thread guide to lay a cord or thread on the hook, and a work holder. In addition, means are provided to strip completed loops or loop portions of stitches from the hook and interlock them with a loop that is just being drawn; and means are also provided to engage with completed stitches on the member to be covered to hold them against spreading apart lengthwise of such member as succeeding stitches are being made. The crochet hook or needle is simply a small steel rod 1 having at one end the usual hook 2. The hook 2 is provided with a gate or closure 3 which is hinged to the body member of the device, as indicated at 4 (see Fig. 6), a short distance inwardly from the hook proper. The length of the closure or gate is such that in one extreme position of the latter its free end rests on the nose or point of the hook. When the gate is in this position a loop on the rod or bar inwardly from the gate may be slipped ofi over the hook without catching in the latter. At times when a thread or cord is to be laid in the hook, the gate occupies an idle position, swung back until it lies to the left of its pivot as viewed in Fig. 6. This needle is old and well known and, of itself, forms no part of the present invention, although it is an important element in our new combination. The needle or book device is fixed at its base end in a needle bar. 5 mounted in the stationary frame of the machine to which, as a whole, is applied the reference character 6, for reciprocatory movements in the direction of the length of-the needle or hook device. The needle bar extends through and fits slidably in a long stationary sleeve-like part '7. A pin 8 is fixed in and extends transverse- 1y through the needle bar near its free end; the ends of the pin extending through and being slidable in long slots 9 in the sides of the element 7. On one end of the pin 8 is a cam roller 10 engaged in an endless cam groove 12 in the side face of a cam disk 13 fixed to and rotatable with a shaft 14 mounted at right angles to the needle bar beyond but near the outer end of the latter. From an inspection of Fig. 2 it will be apparent that the needle bar, and therefore the crochet hook or needle, is caused to complete two forward strokes and two backward strokes for each revolution of the cam; there being a short dwell at the extreme forward end of each stroke.

Associated with the hook or needle is a stripper which is simply a little cylindrical block 15 having a more or less conical front end 16; the needle passing axially through the block. The block is fixed upon a plate or head 1'7 provided with several long guide pins or rods 18 fixed thereto at one end and projecting rearwardly therefrom through and slidable in a part of the stationary frame. These guide rods are parallel with the needle bar and one of them, indicated at 19, is longer than the rest and has on its free end a cam roller 20 engaged in an endless cam groove 22 in a cam disk 23'. The cam disk 23 is fixed on the shaft 14 which also carries the cam disk 13 that actuates the needle bar.

As will be seen from Fig. 2, the main portion of the cam groove 22 is an arc of a circle, there being only a short section which may be said to form a hump or high spot that causes the stripper to be moved quickly through a stripping stroke and then be returned to its normal position of rest. It will thus be seen that, although the needle completes two cycles for each revolution of the cam 23, the stripping device completes only one cycle, the working and the return strokes being both performed while the cam is travelling through a short angular distance.

The guide for the cord, thread or other flexible element to which we shall hereinafter refer simply as a cord, consists of a hollow shaft 24 rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing in the stationary frame at some distance in front of the hook or needle mechanism. In the arrangement shown, the member 24 lies at one side of the axis of the needle bar, extended, and approximately parallel thereto. The shaft 24 is driven from the main shaft 25 through cooperating bevel gears 26 and 2'7, the ratio of which is 2 to 1 so that the shaft 24 makes two revolutions for each revolution of the main shaft. Extending lengthwise through the shaft 24 and fixed thereto is a tube 28. The bore of the tube 28 is considerably greater than the diameter of the cord A with which the crocheting is to be done, so that there will be no danger that the cord will bind in the tubular guide. At the extreme inner end of the tube 28, however, is a short section 29 of reduced diameter that is bent to bring its free end a considerable distance away from the axis of rota-= tion of the guide. Consequently, when the tubular guide revolves, the point at which the cord emerges therefrom travels in a circular path. This circular path lies in a plane transverse to the path of movement of the hook or needle and in such a. position that the path of movement of the hook or needle, extended, intersects the -area bounded by the revolving outlet 'and of the cord guide. The tube 28 is made long enough so that its outer end extends through and beyond the end of the stationary frame opposite that at which the needle or hook is located. The cord, before entering the inlet end of the tubular guide, is engaged by a suitable tension device 30.

Assuming that the needle bar and the tubular cord guide are properly operated and that the free end of a cord leaving the guide has been brought into the vicinity ofthe needle or hook, it

latter is retracted, and the cord guide, and is properly manipulated, the hook and the cord guide may be caused to cooperate to engage the member to be sheathed in stitches or loops of stitches into which the cord is fashioned.

As heretofore stated, the machine illustrated is one adapted to cover a core in the form of a ring. The work holder shown is therefore one designed for this purpose; the ring being indicated at B. The work holder proper is a small, fiat receptacle 32, having a work-receiving chamber 33 larger in diameter than the ring and of a depth much greater than the depth of-the ring, so that the ring will always be loose in the receptacle. In the arrangement shown, the receptacle has a cover 34 held in position at one corner by a screw 35 or the like that permits it to be swung in the plane thereof to open the receptacle and permit the insertion or removal of a ring. The lid or cover may be locked in its closed position in any suitable way, there being, in the arrangement shown, a screw device 36 carried by the body portion of the receptacle and adapted, when loosened, to permit the lid or cover to swing without interference therefrom, but to clamp the cover tightly in place when the screw device is tightened with the lid or cover in its closed position. A section of the receptacle, including the cover, is cut away through one edge, to provide a large opening or window 31 throughwhich a portion of the ring is exposed.

The ring-holding receptacle is movably mounted in such a manner that in one position the inner end of the window or opening lies directly in the path of the hook or needle so that the hook or needle may pass through the same and, of course, through the ring; whereas, in another position, the receptacle lies beside the path of travel of the hook or needle. Figs. 5 and 8, respectively, illustrate these two positions of the receptacle. Furthermore, the receptacle is maintained in an inclined position with the opening or window at the under side, so that the ring always is held by gravity in about the sameposition with respect to the opening or window. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the receptacle 32 is fixed to the upper end of a rigid curved arm 37 hinged at its lower end, as indicated at 38, to the upper end of a shaft 39 supported by the stationary frame so that its axis lies in a plane at right angles to the path of movement of the hook or needle, while making an angle to the vertical in said plane. Sim-minding the upper end of the shaft 39 is a sleeve 40 having a more or less helical slot 42 cut through the wall thereof. The lever 3'7 extends through this slot 42, having a sliding fit therein so that it will be swung up and down through a small angle while the shaft 39 oscillates. The parts are so proportioned that when the lever 37 is in the high end of the slot the window in the receptacle is in the path of the hook turned so as to permit the lever to ride downinto the lower end of the cam. slot, the receptacle is bodily carried sidewise clear of the path of the needle or hook and, at the same time, it is brought more nearly into a horizontal position.

The shaft 39 has on its lower end a pinion 43 meshing with a rack bar 44 extending lengthwise 0f the machine and mountedin the stationary frame for reciprocatory movements in the direction of its length. The rack bar has thereon at the drive shaft end of the machine a cam roller 45 entered in a continuous cam groove 46 in the side face of a vertical cam disk 47 fixed to a or needle. When the shaft 39 is transverse shaft 48 lying below the drive shaft.

. It will be seen that the cam groove 46 is composed of two substantially semi-circular sections, one being of shorter radius than the other, these sections being joined together at their meeting ends. Consequently, when the cam disk 4'7 is revolved, the rack bar 44 remains stationary during almost half a revolution, and then is shifted quickly through the length of a stroke while the cam roll passes from one semi-circular section of the-cam groove to the other. Thereafter, the rack bar remains stationary while the cam disk turns through another angle of almost 180, after which the cam roller is shifted back in that semicircular section of the groove in which it first lay, causing the rack bar to be returned to its starting position.

The shaft 48 carrying the cam disk 47 is driven at the same speed, but in the opposite direction from the driving shaft, through a pair of similar meshing gear wheels 49 and 50 fixed, respectively, on the drive shaft and on the shaft 48.

There remains one other piece of mechanism in addition to those already described, namely, the stitch-holding finger 52 and the means for operating it. The part 52 is L-shaped, the long arm extending through and being adjustably secured in a head 53 onthe inner end of a rod or bar 54 extending at right angles to the needle or hook device; the short arm constituting the finger proper which lies parallel to the supporting member 54 and extends into proximity to the hook on the needle device when the latter is retracted. The member 54 extends slidably through a long reciprocatory actuating member 55 having on one end a cam roller 56 engaged in a contiuous cam groove 5'7 in the side of a disk 58 fixed on the drive shaft 25. This cam groove will be found described hereafter. The member 54 is fixed to and'carried by a cross head 59 mounted in a guide 60 for sliding movement in the direction of the length of the machine, namely, parallel with the actuating member 55. The guide member 60 is, in turn, carried on the inner ends of parallel horizontal round bars 62 extending through and slidable in the adjacent side member of the stationary frame 6, whereby the guide member 60 with the cross head 59 is adapted to move bodily from and toward the needle. One of the bars 62 has on the outer end. a cam roller 63 lying in an endless cam groove 64 in a cam disk 65 lying in a plane at right angles tothe needle or hook device. The cam disk 65 is fixed on a longitudinal shaft 66 supported from one side of the stationary frame of the machine.

- At one .end of the shaft 66 is a bevel pinio'n 67 meshing with a like pinion 68 on the main drive shaft, whereas on the otherend of the shaft 66 is a bevel pinion 69 meshing with a like pinion 70 on the shaft 14 heretofore described. It will thus be seen that the shafts 66 and 14 are driven at the same speed asthe main shaft and, consequently, the cam disks 13, 23 and 65 revolve at the same angular speed as does the cam disk 58 on the drive shaft.

As is best shown in Fig. 3, the cam groove 64 comprises a main portion forming almost a comneedle or hook device during the greater part of the reciprocatory movements of the latter and to be retracted into an idle position during a very short time only. By means of the actuating rod 55, which is in turn caused to reciprocate by the cam 58 on the main drive shaft, the cross head 59 is caused to move longitudinally of the machine, so that the stitch-holding finger may move in a direction parallel with that of the needle or hook device.

From an inspection of Fig. 2, it will be seen that the lower half of the cam groove 5'7 in the cam disk 58 is a half circle, while the upper half of the groove gradually approaches the axis of the drive shaft for an angular length of 90 and then gradually recedes from such axis through the following 90 angular length or distance. In other words, assuming the cam 58 to be revolving in the counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 2, the cam roller 56 will be gradually moved toward the right while the cam is turning through an angle of 90, thus drawing the actuating rod 55 and the stitch-holding finger 52 toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1; Then, while the cam 58 is turning through the next angle of 90, the cam roller travels, back toward the left, causing the stitch-holding finger to be returned to its starting position. Then, while the cam is making the last half of its revolution, the cam roller being in the semi-circular half of the cam groove, the stitch-holding finger remains stationary so far as any movement lengthwise of the machine is concerned.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that during' each complete revolution of the main shaft the needle or hook device makes two complete forward and return strokes; the stripping device 15 makes only a single, quick forward and return stroke which, by comparing the relative positions of the cam grooves 12 and 22, in Fig. 2, occurs at a time when the needle is just completing one of its return strokes; the work holder is swung from a position in the path of the needle or hook device to one side of such path and then back again; the stitch-holding finger is moved once forward and then back in the direction of the length of the needle or hook device, these movements, as will be seen from comparing the positions of the cams in Fig. 2, corresponding to one forward and the succeeding return stroke of the needle or hook device;

the stitch-holding finger, which normally extends into close proximity totheneedle, is once only momentarily drawn away from the needle, this being at the time the stripper device is making a working stroke, as will be seen from a comparison of the positions of the earns 65 and 23 in Figs. 2 and 3; and the cord guide makes two complete revolutions, the timing being such that the rotating guide lays the cord on the needle or hook device whenever the latter is in or near its forward position.

There being a ring in the receptacle, the cord being properly threaded through the tension device and the tubular guide and the free end attached to that part of the ring exposed at the window in the receptacle, and the main driving shaft rotating, the mechanisms that have been described operate rapidly to encase the ring in a cord sheathing. The manner in which this is accomplished will now be explained.

In Fig.5 of the drawingsthe parts are in the positions corresponding to the positions which the various elements of the machine are occupying in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the sheathing having been partly made and the needle or hook device being about to start on a forward stroke. As the needle starts forward, the receptacle or work holder begins to swing toward the position indicated in Fig. 8 and the stitch-engaging finger is moved quickly toward the needle and also starts to move with the needle. The receptacle is thus swung out of the way of the needle which moves ahead beside it until the hook end slightly overlaps the tubular cord guide. The receptacle remains near the needle, however, with the opening or window beside the needle, this being necessary because there is a stitch or a loop of a stitch X on the needle. In Fig. 5 the loop or stitch X is still held in the hook end of the needle but, as the needle advances, it is desirable that this loop or stitch do not shift its position materially with respect to the ring that is being covered. The relative movements of the receptacle and the finger 52 result in bringing the tip of the finger in front of the last two stitches X and Y that have been laid flat, one over the other against the ring and through which the loop X has been drawn, and holds all three against any tendency to be drawn along with the needle. The forward movement of the finger takes place at such a speed that the finger remains always in effective stitch-holding position. The cord A, which inFig. 5. extends through the ring, is caused to stretch across from the cord guide to the ring underneath the receptacle and to be carried past the under side of the exposed section of the ring through the combined movements of the receptacle and the cord guide in reaching the positions illustrated in Fig. 8. Furthermore, the bent end of the cord guide has been carried to the highest point in the path of its travel, so that by the time the needle reaches the end of its forward stroke the cord extends over the top thereof, behind the hook. It should be noted that, as the needle goes forward from the position which it occupies in Fig. 5 to that in Fig. 8, the loop X moving more slowly, acts as a gate opener, causing the gate- Fig. 8, return toward the initial positions represented by Fig. 5. Fig. 9 illustrates the condition after the needle, the receptacle and the stitch-holding finger have returned almost to the starting point. The needle has moved back far enough so that the loop X is again at the free end, but it is not engaged in the hook because, as the needle has travelled back, the gate or guard 3 has been lifted by this stitch or loop and caused to swing into closing position. However, the sitch or loop X cannot be pulled off the needle because the finger 52 is still holding it on; the working end of this finger extending underneath the needle across the neck or base portion of this stitch or loop. It will be seen that in Fig. 9 the ring has shifted its position somewhat within the receptacle, this being due to the fact that the ring lies loosely in the receptacle. An advantage of this is that the pulls exerted by the needle and by the stitch-holding finger will be uniform throughout a series of cycles of operation, since the ring is in no manner rigidly held. s

The next set of positions are illustrated in Fig. 10. The work holder or receptacle has completed its return movement and now lies in the same position as it did in Fig. 1. The finger 52 is still engaged with the stitch or loop X whereas the needle has completed another forward stroke, this time passing through the window or opening in the receptacle inwardly from the exposed portion of the ring. The stitch-engaging finger still remains in a stationary position in front of the loop X and thus serves not only to hold this stitch back but also to hold the ring B against being carriedup and forward with the hook. The loop Y which was formed by the needle and laid beside the loop X in moving back from the position shown in Fig. 8 to the fully retracted position of the needle, is prevented from being drawn forward with the needle because it lies againstthe outer edge of the ring that is being covered. In Fig. 10 the rotating cord guide has already laid the cord across the hook end of the needle. Itwill be seen that the cord passes underneath the exposed part of the ring between the loop Y and the hook end of the needle, whereas the needle lies above this same portion of the ring. Consequently, when the needle is retracted, it draws a new loop X across the top of this exposed part of the ring. It will be seen that the gate or guardlies in its idle position in Fig.

10, having been swung back into that position by the loop or stitch Y as the needle moved ahead and left this loopv or stitch behind. As the hook end of the needle approaches the loops or stitches X and Y the gate or guard for the hook is engaged by the latter and swung up into closing position, as shown in Fig. 11. Consequently, both of these loops or stitches are now free to'be stripped from the needle without interference by the hook. As the loop X is just about to be drawn through the loops or stitches X and Y the stitch-holding finger is drawn back clear of the stitches. In, drawing the loop X through the loops X and Y the cord is carried across the top of the exposed partof the ring, so that between the finished loops Y and X there .is a strand extending across the under side, up past the inner edge and across the upper side or face of the exposed part of the ring. The stitches X and Y still contain a lot of slack in Fig. 11, which slack must be taken out. This is done by the equalized pull of the needle on the loop X one end of which is connected back to the tension device of the machine, while between the other end and thestitches that have already been set on the ring are the loose loops or stitches X and Y In drawing the loop X through the loops X and Y the slack is taken out of these 'latter loops or stitches so that these two stitches By employing the stripping device, however, the stripping is done positively and the stitches are laid more tightly in its forward position but, having reached its farthest point of advance, immediately returns to its idle position. With the stripper device back in its idle position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 12, all of the parts are again-in positions illustrated in Fig. 5, so that the cycle we have just described need only be repeated a sufficient number of times to enclose the entire ring in crocheted stitches neatly formed about the ring. It will be seen that the ring is self-feeding, the pull of the needle on the cord which is under tension causing the ring to turn slightly whenever a new loop is being drawn, so as to make room for the cord that passes under or over the exposed portion of the ring to lie against the last loop or stitch that already surrounds that ,section of the ring.

It is desirable that the stitches or loop portions of stitches of the X and Y type be symmetrically disposed with respect to the plane of the ring without sticking up like the edge of a pie crust on one face. In order that the needle may pass through the ring it is necessary that the exposed portion of the latter, along which the stitches are actually made and set, lie below the horizontal plane of the needle. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, the loops of the X and Y type lie almost at right angles to the plane of the ring as they are formed by the needle. If left in this position, these stitches or loops could not be laid against the edge of the ring so as to be symmetrically disposed with respect to the plane of the ring. Compensation is made, however, through the tilting movement given to the work holder or receptacle which brings the latter into a more nearly horizontal position as it is swung around from the position shown in Fig. 5 to that shown in Fig. 3. Obviously, this causes the stitch or loop X in Fig. 8 to pull the stitches X and Y down into the desired positions.

It will thus be seen that we have produced a simple and novel machine which will rapidly cover rings with crocheted stitches, neatly disposed thereon, so that a uniform product may be obtained at a low cost. It will further be seen that by modifying the details of construction, cores other than ring-like members can be covered in the same way and that, while the various groups. of mechanisms which we have disclosed cooperate efliciently in the form of the special machine that we have illustrated, they are capable of being used in other situations.

While we have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of our invention, we do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intend to cover all forms and arrangements which come within the definitionsof the invention constituting the appended claims past opposite sides of the said element.

2. In combination, a lengthwise reciprocatory crochet hook, a rotatable tubular cord guide arranged parallel with the path of movement of the hook, the end of said guide toward the hook extending laterally so as to be displaced a considerable distance from the axis of rotation of the guide, means to actuate the hook and the tubular guide, and means to support a core memher in such positions and move it in such time relation to the hook that a cord emerging from said guide is operated upon by the hook and crocheted about the core.

3. In combination, a movable guide for a cord, a crochet hook adapted to move from and toward said guide, means to operate the hook and the guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook at a predetermined point in each cycle of movements'of the hook, a holder for a ring to be sheathed, and

means to move said holder into such positions and in such time relation to the hook that the latter moves alternately through the ring and past the outside of the ring so as to crochet the cord around the ring.

4. In combination, a movable guide for a cord, a crochet hook adapted to move from and toward said guide, means to operate the hook and the guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook at a predetermined point in each cycle of movements of the book, a receptacle to house a ring to be sheathed, said receptacle having an opening extending inwardly from the edge thereof through which a short section of a ring may be exposed, and means for moving said receptacle into such positions and in such time relation to the hook that the latter moves alternately through said opening inwardly from the exposed section of the ring and past the outside of the receptacle, whereby the hook draws the cord alternately through the ring and past the outside of the receptacle.

5. In combination, a movable guide for a cord, a crochet hook adapted to move from and toward said guide, means to operate the hook and the guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook at a predetermined point in each cycle of movements of the hook, a holder for an element to be sheathed, means to move said holder into such positions and in such time relation to the hook that the latter crochets stitches about said element, and means simultaneously to strip from the hook a plurality of loops forming parts of stitches and interlock them with a succeeding loop that is still on the hook.

6. In combination, a movable guide fora cord, a crochet hook adapted to move from and toward said guide, means to operate the hook and the guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook at a predetermined point in each cycle of movements of the hook, a holder for an element to be sheathed, means to move said hook so that the latter applies the cord to said element in the form of crochet stitches, and stitch-engaging means to hold loops of partly formed stitches on the hook and completed stitches in place while the hook is drawing other loops.

7. In combination, a movable guide for a cord, a crochet hook adapted to move'from and toward said guide, means to' operate the hook and the guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook at a predetermined point in each cycle of movements of the book, a holder for an element to be sheathed, means to move said hook so that the latter applies the cord to said element in the form of crochet stitches, stitch-engaging means to hold loops of partly formed stitches on the hook and completed stitches in place while the hook is drawing other loops, and means to strip two loops from the hook and interlock them with a succeeding loop while the latter remains on the hook.

8. In combination, a movable guide for a cord,

a crochet hook adapted to move from and toward said guide, means to operate the hook and the guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook at a predetermined point in each cycle of movements of the hook, a holder for an element to be sheathed, means to move said hook so that the latter applies the cord to said element in the form of crochet stitches, a stitch-holding finger, means to move the finger back and forth in the direction of movement of the hook, and means to hold said finger in engagement with completed stitches while loops to begin other stitches are being drawn by the hook.

9. In combination, a movable guide for a cord, a crochet hook adapted to move from and toward said guide, means to operate the hook and the guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook at a predetermined point in each cycle of movements of the hook, a holder for an element to be sheathed, means to move said hook so that the latter draws the cord into loops and interlock them about said element in the form of crochet stitches, means to strip loops from the hook, a stitch-holding finger, means to move the finger back and forth in the direction of movement of the hook, and means normally to hold said finger in stitch-engaging position and momentarily to withdraw it clear of the stitches while the stripper is acting on loops on the hook. V

10. In combination, a rotatable guide for a cord, a crochet hook reciprocable from and toward said guide, a receptacle to house a ring to be sheathed, said receptacle having an opening extending inwardly through the edge to expose a section of the ring, means to reciprocate the hook and rotate the cord guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook whenever the hook is in a forward position, and means to support said receptacle in such position that the ring stands in an inclined position with its lower portion extending across the outer end of the said opening and to move the receptacle in such time relation to the hook that the hook in making forward strokes alternately passes through the opening in the receptacle inwardly from the exposed part of the ring and past the side of the receptacle outwardly from the ring.

11. In combination, a rotatable. guide for a cord, a crochet hook reciprocable from and toward said guide, a receptacle to house a ring to be sheathed, said receptacle having an opening extending inwardly through the edge to expose a section of the ring, means to reciprocate the hook and rotate the cord guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook whenever the hook is in a forward position, means to support said receptacle in such position that the ring stands in an inclined position with its lower portion extending across the outer end of the said opening, and means acting on said support to shift the receptacle between a position in which the hook passes through said opening and through the ring and a position in which the receptacle stands clear of the path of the hook and the ring is caused to assume a more nearly horizontal position.

cord, a crochet hook reciprocable from and toward said guide, a receptacle to house a ring to be sheathed, said receptacle having an opening extending inwardly through the edge to expose a section of the ring, means to reciprocate the hook and rotate the cord guide in such time relation to each other that the guide lays the cord in the hook whenever the hook is in a forward position, means to support said receptacle in such position that the ring stands in an inclined position with its lower portion extending across the outer end of the said opening, means acting on said support to shift the receptacle between a position in which the hook passes through said opening and through the ring and a position in which the receptacle stands clear of the path of the hook, and stitch-engaging means movable into holding position in front of loops on the hook to hold the loop back and the ring down during forward movements of the hook.

13. In combination, a reciprocable crochet hook, a holder for a ring to be sheathed, means to move the holder in such time relation to the needle that the hook in making forward strokes passes alternately through the ring and past the outside of the ring, and mechanism cooperating with the hook to cause the latter to crochet a cord around the ring.

14. In combination, a reciprocable crochet hook, a holder for a ring to be sheathed, means to move the holder in such time relation to the needle that the hook in making forward strokes passes alternately through the ring and past the outside of the ring, and mechanism including means to lay a cord in the hook and means to strip loops from the hook cooperating with the hook to cause the latter to crochet the cord around the ring.

15. In combination, a reciprocable crochet hook, a receptacle to house a ring to be sheathed, said receptacle having an opening extending inwardly through the edge to expose a section of the ring, means to move the receptacle in such time relation to the hook that the hook in mak: ing forward strokes alternately passes through 120 the opening in the receptacle inwardly from the exposed part of the ring and past the side of the receptacle outwardly from the exposed part of the ring, and mechanism cooperating with the hook to cause the latter to crochet a cord about.125 the ring.

16. In combination, a reciprocable crochet hook, a receptacle to house a ring to be sheathed, said receptacle having an opening extending inwardly through the edge to expose a section of 130 the ring, means to move the receptacle in such time relation to the hook that the hook in making forward strokes alternately passes through the opening in the receptacle inwardly from the exposed part ofthe ring and past the side of 135 the receptacle outwardly from the exposed part of the ring, and mechanism including a means to lay a cord in the hook and means to strip loops from the hook cooperating with the hook to cause the latter to crochet the cord about the 140 ring.

1VIICHAEL JERRY NARDULLI. PETER F. NARDULLI. 

